New Goals???

In the books and articles that I have been reading lately about education and educational reform, I have come to realize that we have a substantial problem. Our traditional goals of education–high scores on the SATs, a wealth of knowledge about the facts and figures of history, the ability to remember and utilize rather complex mathematical problems, skill in the use of language, and many many more - are perfectly normal, entirely useful, and very important.

But  when we generate exciting new approaches to education  including highly experiential teaching methods, the new techniques don’t seem to make sense in terms of the old goals.  The use of participatory methods of teaching  are meant to accomplish much more than higher SAT scores. We need some new goals in order to encompass  and justify some of the exciting new approaches we are developing.

The new goals should be more in the direction of processes than products,  more about how to think rather than simply  the indoctrination of what to think; the outcome of kids who are  not only learned,  but also eager, motivated, and skillful learners.

And until we can come up with more appropriate new goals – goals in the arena of learning to learn – the old goals and the old measurement criteria like SAT tests will simply not do.

Any thoughts about what the new, process oriented goals should be like?

Ed